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Carving Thoughts


Radial

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It sounds kind of anal but I keep a carving journal of the days I ride and what I was thinking and learned. I have just passed through 325 days on the Alpine board and really good things are starting to happen. Here are five things that have made a difference this year.

1. There are some ski instruction videos on YouTube with Bodie Miller. They turn up at the end of search for Alpine Snowboarding. There are about five segments showing carved truns, ice, steeps etc. He is not a pretty free skiier. He is very efficient and steady. The segment on ice just changed my whole perspective on carving. He emphasized balance, good position, and using your feet. Somehow watching him ski moved my riding much farther than all of the hours I must have invested in the EC boys.

2. Hips up and forward.

3. Follow the tip.

4. Relax my arms.

5. Don't curl my toes.

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...

Somehow watching him ski moved my riding much farther than all of the hours I must have invested in the EC boys...

Despite the ongoing debate at BOL regarding EC vs Bomber style; I've gravitated towards EC. However, with the Push/Pull techniqe, I would consistently chatter out when in hard / icy conditions (both heelside and toeside). J&P had always said that Push/Pull works on ice. I thought maybe I had the wrong board.

I then got a Coiler Schtubby 171 which is suppose to be great on ice. When I got into icy conditions, I still chattered out toeside, but held on heelside. So I figure, it has to be operator error.

Then I watched Carved (the full version) and watched it frame by frame. Watching the EC guys really bend the knees and transition the weight from front to back in super duper slow-mo, high def, it finally clicked. I finally understood the "feed the dollar" analogy.

A few days later, I tried it out on the slopes. I bent the knees more and subtle transition from front to back; my toeside carve held in icy conditions. I was AMAZED.

Before my revelation, I could carve a full 360 on my heelside; on toeside, I'd chatter out just past the 180 mark. After watching "Carved", I got to the 270 mark on my toeside. Now with the proper run, I'm sure I'll be able to carve a full 360 on my toeside.

I think even if you're not into EC, "Carved" is the best example I've seen for "bend the knees" and "feed the dollar".

I did have to convert "Carved" to .mov format in order to watch it frame by frame on QuickTime.

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The movie comes in the .mov version in high def I believe. Also filming from behind like they did is really helpful to visualize. I flipped the movie around to make him ride goofie like I do to help visualize further.

Great cinematography even if you are not into EC.

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Then I watched Carved (the full version) and watched it frame by frame. Watching the EC guys really bend the knees and transition the weight from front to back in super duper slow-mo, high def, it finally clicked. I finally understood the "feed the dollar" analogy.

A few days later, I tried it out on the slopes. I bent the knees more and subtle transition from front to back; my toeside carve held in icy conditions. I was AMAZED.

Before my revelation, I could carve a full 360 on my heelside; on toeside, I'd chatter out just past the 180 mark. After watching "Carved", I got to the 270 mark on my toeside. Now with the proper run, I'm sure I'll be able to carve a full 360 on my toeside.

I think even if you're not into EC, "Carved" is the best example I've seen for "bend the knees" and "feed the dollar".

What's this "feed the dollar" technique? I am very interested. I was talking to a skier/boarder and he also mention of rocking front and back.

thanks

David

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What's this "feed the dollar" technique? I am very interested. I was talking to a skier/boarder and he also mention of rocking front and back.

thanks

David

The way I interpret it, it's a subtle transition from front to back. Here are some screen captures from Carved:

Rider is centered when at the start of the toeside turn, knees are bent.

carved_toeside_15.jpg

Farther into the turn, weight is slightly shifted to the back, you can see the nose barely coming off the ground, knees are bent even more.

carved_toeside_2.jpg

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The way I interpret it, it's a subtle transition from front to back.

This is my understanding as well, but the way I've been told by my dad, it's a bit more than subtle, at least on skis.

My dad carves them 2 plank things purty good with cross-through.

A lot of his technique came from "How the Racers Ski"

There is a particular section in the book where the authors tells you to imagine a a small square painted on the snow (somewhere near the gate you're going around, no clue where this is because I don't ski nor do I race! :lol:) and maintain your weight on that single patch of snow as the ski passes over it, correctly regulating both how much the ski turns, and how much it "picks you up" and crosses back underneath you, in addition to this, you gradually load the tail(s), throwing you forward onto the next patch where you repeat the process, starting from the front.

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